Bowling ball delivery mechanism



d- 1957 a. A. MONTOOTH ETAL 2,809,037

BOWLING BALL DELIVERY MECHANISM Original Filed March 26, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lllil Oct. 8, 1957 s, A. MONTOOTH ETAL BOWLING BALL DELIVERY MECHANISM Origina l Filed March 26, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 N .WNN

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BOWLING BALL DELIVERY MECHANISM Original Filed March 26, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 iillltlflllmm 506 505 j 50 INVENTORS I eorga llflorzfii/u Albert M-Bowerz/ as a ite rates eeann BOWLING BALL DELIVERY MECHANISM George A. Montooth and Albert M. Bowen, Long Beach, Calif., assignors to The Brunswick-Baillie-Collender Company, a corporation of Delaware 11 Claims. (Cl. 27349) This invention relates to mechanism for delivering bowling balls from adjacent bowling alleys to a common return track and, more particularly, to such a mechanism wherein collision between balls delivered to the return track from adjacent alleys is positively avoided.

In the past it has been proposed to deliver bowling balls from adjacent alleys to a common return track. However, the mechanism provided has not been capable of positively preventing collision between balls delivered to a return track disposed between adjacent alleys.

Another object of this invention is to provide new and improved mechanism for returning balls to a return track wherein a mechanical member is positioned to block the movement of a ball as it is elevated from the pit and delivered to the return track and which is moved to an out-of-the-way position when the return track is not receiving a ball from the other alley.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ball elevating mechanism disposed between a pair of side boards or kickbacks between adjacent alleys having a cradle therebetween which is in the form of a conveyor having spaced-apart ball elevating members and includes means for insuring that a ball may enter into the cradle from only one alley at a time for engagement by one of .said ball elevating members so as to prevent collision between bowling balls as they are delivered to-a return ftrack.

The objects of the invention generally set forth, to- ;gether with other ancillary advantages, are attained by the construction and arrangement shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a pinsetting mechanism with which the present mechanism may be associated and showing the mechanism for elevating a ball to an intermediate elevated position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the mechanism "for delivering a ball to the return track;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 33 in Fig. 2 and showing the mechanism associated with each alley for elevating a ball to an intermediate elevated position;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken along the line 44 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical side and sectional view as taken along the line 55 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

i Fig. 7 is a broken side view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 99 of Fig. 7; and,

Fig. 10 is a broken detailed view looking from the left hand side of Fig. 9.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and vwill herein be described in detail an illustrative embodi- 2,809,037 Patented Get. 8, 1957 ment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

This application is a division of our application, Serial No. 657,238, filed March 26, 1946, entitled Machine for Setting Pins on Bowling Alleys, now Patent No. 2,697,605, which issued December 21, 1954. Reference may be had to the parent application for a description of a complete automatic pinsetter with which the presently disclosed invention may be utilized.

The alley and its pin-spotting deck 101 are conventional, the alley terminating in a pit 103 provided with a back stop 104 for receiving the impact of the ball and any pins which may be propelled against it. According to the invention, the pit 103 is provided with means 105 for lifting a ball from a low point in the pit to an intermediate elevated position from which it is discharged for further elevation and return or delivery to the bowler, with starting switch means 106 adapted to initiate the synchronous movement of various portions of an automatic pinsetter including the ball lifting means 105, and means 107 for moving pins in the pit for elevation therefrom by a pin lift conveyor 108. The latter serves to move the pins to an elevated point of the mechanism for discharge into a chute 109. A pin magazine 110 receives the pins from the chute 109 and, when filled with a full complement of ten pins, discharges them into a pin spotting tray 1111 therebeneath. Said tray is movable to a position over the deck for extraction of the pins therefrom by a pin setting rack 112. The rack not only serves to receive a full complement of pins from the tray 111 and deposit them in proper spotted position on the deck 101 but also serves to engage and lift any pins left standing after a ball has been rolled so that said deck can be swept clear of fallen pins. The rack redeposits such pins in the same positions from which they have been lifted subsequent to clearing of the deck so that they are ready for the second ball to be rolled.

The mechanism further includes a guard 113 which has a normal elevated position and is moved to a position across the alley in front of the deck during the period of operation of the mechanism to protect the same against injury by a prematurely rolled ball. A squeegee or deck clearing device 114 moves vertically with the guard and also moves rearwardly to sweep the deck of fallen pins after the pin setting rack has lifted standing pins. There is also provided a pin deck cover 115 suitably elevated with respect to the deck 101 to give ample pin clearance. Said cover 115 is normally closed to protect the rack 112 and other mechanism from injury by flying pins but opens synchronously with the downward movement of the guard 113 so that the rack 112 may move vertically through the resulting opening. The detailed construction and operation of these parts is set forth in our parent application referred to above.

The mechanism also provides means 116 (Fig. 2) for receiving a ball from the lift 105 for return thereof to the blower. The particular means 116 shown contemplates mechanism which serves adjacent alleys and, as more fully described hereinafter, functions to prevent collision between balls delivered from the adjacent alleys.

Ball lift 105 The ball lift 105 shown best in Figs. 1 and 5 comprises a pair of side brackets 120 mounted for vertical movement on tracks 121 by means of belts 122 trained on pulley 123 mounted on shaft 124 (Fig. l) which may be rotated by suitable means (not shown) to accomplish raising and lowering of the ball lift at desired times in the cycle of the automatic pinsetter. There is a belt 122 and pulley 123 at each side of the pit and these members at one side of the pit are shown in Fig. 1. The brackets 120 support a pair of spaced rollers 125 which are arranged transversely in the pit and at a slight angle from side to side as shown in Fig. 1. A ball leaving the deck 101 will strike back stop 104 and will fall on either of the sloping walls 126 to be guided thereby to fall on said rollers. Pins falling into the pit will be similarly guided. However, the spacing of the rollers 125 is such that they will support a ball but allow pins to fall between them. Since some of the pins may assume a transverse position across the rollers, one or both may be caused to rotate as they are elevated from the full line position shown in Fig. 1 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 and the position shown in Fig. 3 to dislodge such trans verse pins and induce them to fall between the rollers. As the rollers are raised, the ball naturally rolls to the low side from where it is received by the ball delivery mechanism 116 (Fig. 2).

Ball delivery mechanism 116 Figs. 2 through detail this mechanism which comprises an independent unit not effecting the operation of the other components of an automatic pinsetter. The mechanism is designed to receive balls from adjacent alleys and to return them to a bowler on a common return track of conventional design located between adjacent side boards or alley kickbacks 468. An opening 469 is made near the top of each side board large enough to pass a ball from ball lifting rollers 125 to the space provided between side boards. A door 479 is provided for normally closing each opening The doors are mounted to slide vertically on tracks 471 and when raised allow the passage of a ball through the associated opening 469. Means are provided to receive a ball passing through either opening 469 and to lift it to a higher level.

Said means comprises a conveyor 472 having a bottom shaft 473 carrying spaced sprockets 474 and mounted in bearings 475 secured on the facing sides of the side boards 468. Side supports 476 extend upwardly from said facing sides of the side boards on opposite sides of the conveyor. Sprockets 474 are located below the openings 469 and a second shaft 477 carrying sprockets 478 is positioned in elevated relation to said openings in bearings 478a carried by the side supports. Chains 479 are trained around the spaced pairs of sprockets 474 and 478.

The motor 244 (Fig. 1) is connected to drive the conveyor 472 by means of a worm and worm wheel drive 480 turning a shaft 481 which, in turn, through the medium of a one-direction driving pulley 482 and belt 483, drives a pulley 484 on shaft 477. Each of the pinsetter mechanisms associated respectively with the two adjacent alleys involved effects a drive of the conveyor 472 through similar mechanism. 7

The conveyor chains 479 mount a pair of lifting brackets 485 by means of transverse rods 486. Each bracket is provided with rollers 487 on the ends of rods 486, said rollers being guided in vertical tracks 488 at the front and rear edges of the side supports 476. The brackets are normally tiltable on their rods 486 but said brackets are held against tilting by a roller 489 on each bracket engaged with a cam track 490. Said cam track, near its upper end, is formed with a recess 491. Each bracket 485 is also provided with a rod 492 on the end of the bracket opposed to the roller 489.

It will be evident that lifting of door 470 will permit a ball to come to rest upon one of brackets 485 and that movement of the conveyor will elevate the bracket and ball. The ball may ride along side boards 468 in its elevating movement. When the roller 489, aided by the weight of the ball, finds cam recess 491, the bracket will tilt to aid the ball in rolling onto the ball return track 493.

Each bracket 485 serves one alley only. The part of the ball lifting mechanism operable in conjunction with a ball received from one alley and with one of the brackets 485 is actuated by a catch block 494 mounted on one side of the other bracket 485 which is moving in its downward non-ball lifting stroke. The part of the ball lifting mechanism operable in conjunction with a ball received from the other alley and said other bracket 485 is actuated by a catch block 494 on the side of the first bracket 485 when it is in its downward non-ball lifting stroke. The catch blocks 494 are on opposite sides, with respect to each other, of their respective brackets 485. It will thus be seen that a ball received from one alley is lifted by one bracket 485 and associated mechanism, the latter being controlled by the catch block on the other bracket. The mechanism is arranged to operate for one alley continually should the other alley be idle since either alley drives the conveyor 472. The ball to be elevated controls the mechanism for return delivery thereof.

A bell-crank 495 pivoted at 496 is arranged adjacent each opening 469. Each lever is connected to a push rod 497 carrying a trip lug 498 for engagement with the operating arm of a switch 500. A solenoid 501 is connected in the circuit to be energized when the switch is closed. As seen more clearly in Figs. 6 and 7, the solenoid controls the rotation of a ratchet 502 through the medium of a gear and rack unit 503 connected to the core of said solenoid, the action of said core being opposed by a spring 504. Each ratchet 502 comprises a fixed member 505 having a ratcheting engagement with a member 506 keyed to a vertical stern 507 arranged alongside of the rear guide 488. The stem is axially movable through the ratchet, the members of which are urged toward each other by a spring 508 around the stem and held by an abutment 509. By this arrangement, energizing of solenoid 501 will cause the gear means 503 to turn ratchet member 506 one-quarter turn to effect a similar motion of stem 507.

A lug 510 is provided on each stem for engagement by its related catch block 494 which is adapted to depress the lug 510 and thereby depress stem 507 in its guide bearings 511. A cable connection 512, trained over pulleys 513 is made between each stem 507 and its associated door 470. A compression spring 514 mainly residing in a sleeve 515 on the frame of tracks 471 serves to counteract the pull of cable 512.

When a ball is brought by ball lift to a position against the sliding door 470 of its alley, the short arm 516 of bell crank 495 is engaged by the ball to raise push rod 497 and to bring the long arm 517 down against the rear of the ball. The trip lug 498 will be moved up to effect closing of switch 500 and energization of solenoid 501. The resultant movement of the gear and rack means 503 will cause a quarter turn of stem 507 which is now held in turned position by the ratchet 502 and thus holds lug 510 in position as shown in Figs. 7, 9 and 10 to be engaged by the catch block 494 on the same side of a bracket 485 as lug 510. Depression of the stern suflicient to raise door 470 follows. A bracket 518 on the door engages a block 519 on push rod 497 to exert an upward force on said rod and thus cause the long arm 517 of the bell crank to roll the ball onto a cradle formed by ledges 520 of side boards 468 in position to be picked up by the next bracket 485 moving upward.

Since each alley is provided with a separate ball delivery mechanism, the doors are caused to open alternately by alternate ball lifting brackets. Therefore, if the balls of both alleys arrive at the same time against their doors and operate their respective switches simultaneously, the doors will be opened in timed relation as determined by the catch blocks 494 on each of the brackets 485 which are positioned on opposite sides of the brackets 485 for engagement with their respective lugs 510.

At the low position of the stem 507, a collar 521 on said stem depresses a sleeve 522 of the movable ratchet member 506 to release said member from engagement with the fixed member 505. The spring 504 can now restore the stem 507 to its initial position with the lug 510 out of the path of movement of the catch block 494. The spring 514 is now effective to close the door 4-70 and simultaneously raise the stem 507. The push rod 497 is thus released and the bell crank 495 can now return to ball receiving position.

We claim:

1. In combination, a pair of adjacent bowling alleys, a ball return track between said alleys, a ball lift in the pit of each alley for elevating a ball therein, a bail elevating mechanism arranged between the alleys for receiving at opposite sides thereof balls delivered thereto by either ball lift and depositing the same upon the ball return track, means associated with each alley for blocking the path of movement of a ball from each ball lift to said elevating mechanism, means for moving each blocking means to unblocking position to permit movement of a ball from a ball lift to the elevating mechanism, said last named means being operable to move a blocking means to unblocking position only when the other blocking means is in blocking position.

2. A ball delivery mechanism comprising a vertical conveyor located between the adjacent side boards of adjacent bowling alleys, a door controlled opening in each side board giving access to said conveyor, switch means controlled by a ball for opening its respective door, and means for moving said ball into position to be received by the conveyor.

3. A ball delivery mechanism comprising a vertical conveyor located between the adjacent side boards of adjacent bowling alleys, at least two ball receiving and supporting brackets on said conveyor, a door controlling an opening in each side board giving access of the balls to the conveyor, means for opening said doors, means for moving a ball through said opening, and means on each bracket for controlling the door and the ball moving means of each one alley only.

4. A ball delivery mechanism comprising a vertical conveyor located between the adjacent side boards of adjacent bowling alleys, a door controlling an opening in each side board, means controlled by the ball to set the mechanism for opening that door which gives access of the controlling ball to the conveyor, means for opening the door, and means on the conveyor for operating said door opening means.

5. A ball delivery mechanism comprising a vertical conveyor located between the adjacent side boards of adjacent bowling alleys, a door controlling an opening in each side board, means controlled by the ball to set the mechanism for opening that door which gives access of the controlling ball to the conveyor, means for opening the door, means on the conveyor for operating said door opening means, means for moving the controlling ball to be received by the conveyor, and means interconnecting the latter means and the door opening means.

6. A ball delivery mechanism for use with a ball return track disposed between a pair of bowling alleys provided with side boards at the side of the pit comprising, means associated with each alley for raising a ball from the pit to an elevated position intermediate the pit and the ball receiving end of the return track and adjacent the side board nearest the adjacent alley, a ball receiving cradle between said adjacent side boards upon which a ball may enter after elevation by the means elevating the ball from the pit, a vertically-disposed, endless conveyor mechanism mounted between the adjacent side boards of the pair of alleys and extending below the cradle and upwardly to a position adjacent the return track, a pair of spaced apart ball elevating brackets on the conveyor so constructed and arranged as to pass upwardly through the cradle and carry a ball upwardly to the return track, a vertically movable door associated one with each alley and normally held in a position to prevent entry of a ball from the pit to the cradle, movable means adjacent the conveyor and associated one with each of said doors to elevate the door, means carried by the conveyor for engaging said door elevating means alternately to raise one door as a bracket on the conveyor approaches the cradle and to raise the other door when the other bracket on the conveyor approaches said cradle, and means responsive to the arrival of a ball adjacent a door to position said door elevating means so as to be actuated by the means on the conveyor to raise the last'mentioned door, and means operable by the elevation of the door to move the ball onto the cradle.

.7. A ball delivery mechanism for use with a ball return track disposed between a pair of bowling alleys provided with side boards at the side of the pit comprising, means associated with each alley for raising a ball from the pit to an elevated position intermediate the pit and the ball receiving end of the return track and adjacent the side board nearest the adjacent alley, a ball receiving cradle having spaced apart ball engaging ledges between the alleys upon which a ball may enter after elevation by the means elevating the ball from the pit, a vertically disposed, endless conveyor mechanism mounted between the adjacent alleys and extending below the cradle and upwardly to a position adjacent the return track, a pair of spaced apart ball elevating members on the conveyor so constructed and arranged as to pass through the cradle and carry a ball upwardly to the return track, a vertically movable door associated with each alley and normally held in a position to prevent entry of a ball from the pit to the cradle, movable means associated one with each of said doors to elevate their respective doors, means operable in timed relation with the conveyor for engaging said door elevating means alternately to raise the doors alternately and means responsive to the arrival of a ball adjacent a door to position said door elevating means so as to be actuated by the means on the conveyor.

8. A ball delivery mechanism, comprising, an elevating conveyor between the adjacent side boards of adjacent bowling alleys, each of said side boards having an opening to permit the passage of a ball from the associated alley to the common conveyor between the side boards, ball guide means associated with each alley adjacent the respective openings in adjacent side boards and extending at an angle relative to a perpendicular between side boards for guiding balls respectively to said openings, movable ball stop members one positioned adjacent each of said openings for controlling the passage of a ball through the opening means for moving each ball stop member from a first position blocking the path of movement of a ball from an alley to the conveyor to a second position unblocking said path, and mechanism for retaining one of said ball stop members in blocking position whenever the other of said ball stop members is moved to unblocking position so as to avoid collision of balls from both alleys at the conveyor.

9. A ball delivery mechanism, comprising, an elevating conveyor between the adjacent side boards of adjacent bowling alleys, each of said side boards having an opening to permit the passage of a ball from the associated alley to the common conveyor between the side boards, movable ball stop members one positioned adjacent each of said openings for controlling the passage of a ball through the opening, means normally biasing the ball stop members to positions blocking the passage of balls through the openings, and ball controlled means for moving the stop members only one at a time to a position permitting the passage of only one ball at a time to the conveyor to avoid collision of balls from both alleys at the conveyor.

10. A ball delivery mechanism, comprising, an elevating conveyor between the adjacent side boards of adjacent bowling alleys, each of said side boards having an opening; topermit the passage of a ball from the associated alley to the common conveyor'between the side boards, movable ball stop members one positioned adjacent each of said openings for controlling the passage of a ball through the opening, means normally biasing the ball stop members topositions blocking the passage of balls through the openings, separate means for moving the stop'members to non-blockingpositions operable alternately by said conveyor, and ball controlled means for setting said separate means for operation by the conveyor.

11. A ball. delivery mechanism for use with adjacent bowling. alleys having adjacent Sideboards, comprising, in, combination, a ball elevator disposed between the adjacent sideboardsfor receiving fromropposite sides thereof balls delivered oneat atime from either alley, each of said sideboards having an opening therein to permit passage of a ball: therethrough to the ball elevator, means associated respectively with each alley for directing balls to the ball opening in the associated sideboard, ball blocking doors, one associated with each'opening for blocking passage of a ball through the opening to the elevator, means mounting the doors for movement to open positions permitting passage of balls to the elevator, means disposed adjacent each door for detecting the presence'of a ball thereat' as a condition precedent to movement of the associated door to open position, means operative in response to operation of said detecting means-for opening a door when a ball has been detected, and means for retaining each of the doors in closed position when the other door is in open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

